Sacred Light (Armor of Magic Book 1)

by Simone Pond

  “She’s a child!”

  He stroked Sadie’s blond hair, smiling wickedly. I couldn’t take another second; I released a sound that would’ve put a banshee to shame. The sound shook the entire warehouse. The man covered his ears, and I shoved Sadie behind me as I brought down my sword onto the man. He wasn’t a demon, otherwise he would’ve exploded. Instead, the sword sliced into his skull, killing him instantly.

  I don’t know what the sound was that came up out of me, but it had gotten the attention of every single supernatural being in the warehouse. They all turned their eyes on me. I was cooked. Grabbing Sadie close, I focused on the door and jetted out of the warehouse at the speed of something faster than light. I had to barricade the main exit with something to keep them locked inside. I circled around an eighteen wheeler trailer, shouting to the magical creatures for help. We heaved it, then dropped it at the door, smashing a few demons that were already exiting. Laila helped secure a magical seal around the door and any other exits, making sure to keep the bastards locked in for the time being.

  All the magical creatures Laila and I had just saved—faeries, nymphs, muses, and white witches—gathered around Laila and me. They cheered and sang out praises.

  “Please, we must get away from this place. I need you to help return the humans back to their homes. And make it so they don’t remember anything.” I looked at Sadie when I said this.

  I was exhausted and drained from my attempt to bust Stone. Though my plan had failed, at least I had been able to help free the innocents. I just wanted to take a hot shower and wash off this incredibly long day. Before anyone could say another word, I waved to Laila and jetted to the guest house.

  twenty-six

  When I got to Asher’s house, his truck was in the driveway, so I tapped my helmet to cloak myself. I wasn’t in the mood to explain where I had been all day or why I hadn’t called him. I needed a shower first. That’s when I remembered the faerie still had my phone. In the tumult of my plan going to shit, I had forgotten Laila was supposed to have gathered some photos for evidence. Well, at least Stone’s trafficking operation would be out of commission for a little while. That was a small victory, even if I couldn’t nail him for it. I figured after I showered and cleaned up, I could walk over to Asher’s and explain that I’d been running around all day wrapping up my story that was due in the morning, the fluff piece I still hadn’t finished. It was going to be a long night.

  I walked around to the back yard to find Asher sitting on my patio right in front of my door. Great. I could have stayed cloaked, but getting around him and opening the door would be impossible. Or I could go ahead and have the conversation now. He did look pretty cute sitting outside waiting for me. I tiptoed back to the side of the house, removed my helmet and made my way again toward the guest house. I was about to call his name when Laila came flitting over.

  “Wait, Fiona!” she said.

  “Not now, faerie!” I whispered.

  I mean, hadn’t I come through on our bargain and rescued her friends? Wasn’t that enough? I kept on walking, ignoring her. She could flutter around me all she wanted. I was so done.

  As I approached the patio, Asher jumped up and grabbed the iron chair out from under him and aimed it at me. “What are you doing here?” he yelled.

  The disguise. I had forgotten I was still in Franklin mode. I didn’t know what to say, how could I possibly explain why I looked like a man—but he needed to know the truth and fast, or that iron chair was going to knock me out. As he swung with incredible speed, I managed to shout, “It’s me, Fiona.”

  His beautiful blue eyes opened wide with shock, but it was too late to turn back; the chair was already on its way. It slammed against the side of my skull with a thud, and I dropped to the ground like a brick, passing out into blissful oblivion.

  ***

  “She’s coming back,” Charlotte’s voice surrounded me like a warm light. I didn’t want to move—I just wanted soak in that soothing healing light and stay down.

  At first, I thought we were back in college and I had passed out from doing too many shots. But as my vision sharpened, I noticed Charlotte kneeling over me with her hands spewing out a stream of pinkish white light. She was healing me. How did she know where I was? I figured Ezra had brought her to me, but as I started to come to, I noticed my Guide wasn’t there. In fact, I hadn’t seen him since the library earlier that morning, which seemed like a week ago. It had only been about twelve hours, but still that was very un-stalker like of Ezra. My vision cleared, and I saw Asher and Laila nervously watching as Charlotte mended my throbbing skull.

  “Great, the gang’s all here,” I mumbled.

  “It’s working!” Laila sang out and spun around the room, trailing glittering light in her wake.

  “You’re making me dizzy, faerie,” I said, pulling myself up to sitting.

  I gathered my surroundings, realizing I was on the white couch in the guest house; my ruby red blood had saturated the cushions. Oops. I looked at my hands, which were my own and no longer that demon prick Franklin’s. My right hand was back to normal, the bones no longer crushed. I touched my head to assess the damage, but there wasn’t a wound, just a clump of sticky dried blood in my hair.

  Charlotte sat on the coffee table staring at her hands in awe. “So, I guess I just saved your life. With my hands.”

  I grinned at her. “Thanks, bestie. I owe you.”

  Asher sat next to me on the couch and held my hand. “I’m so sorry, Fiona. I didn’t … I just …”

  Laughing, I squeezed his hand. “You don’t need to explain anything. If anyone needs to explain what’s going on, it’s me.”

  “I already told him everything,” Laila butted in.

  I glared at her. “You’ve officially grated my very last nerve.”

  “Well, I didn’t have a choice. I was afraid he’d hit you again and kill you. So I made myself visible to him and quickly explained that you were in disguise. If you would’ve just listened to me before marching into the yard, this wouldn’t have happened. And then I remembered you mentioned your best friend Charlotte was a healer, so I explained to this handsome gentleman that calling her would be more effective than calling an ambulance. Clearly, it all worked out. So, a simple thank you might be the polite thing to do.” Laila crossed her arms over her chest, pouting her rosebud lips. If she weren’t so damn cute, it’d be a lot easier to stay angry.

  “Fine. Thank you.” I avoided looking at Asher for fear of losing him for good. I couldn’t imagine what he must’ve been thinking.

  Charlotte stood up. “This is really fucking surreal. You’re talking with a faerie. I just put your busted skull back together with my hands. And apparently my sister’s a succubus.”

  “I know it’s crazy. Trust me, I’ve been dealing with this type of shit since I was a kid,” I told Charlotte.

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me what you were?”

  “Mostly because I’ve never wanted this. And I thought if I ignored it, it’d go away. What about you? Have you always had your powers?”

  Charlotte stared off. “Maybe. I don’t know. When Lilith and I were in kindergarten, she fell off the monkey bars and landed on her arm. I heard the bones crack. She was screaming in such brutal agony, I grabbed her arm and wished for it to be better. Suddenly, her screaming stopped and her bones melded back together. She ran off to chase a boy, and we never mentioned it again. But it always nagged at me. I remember enjoying the feeling of helping her. I guess that’s why I chose the medical field.”

  Before Charlotte could utter another word, I gave her an enormous hug. We held each other for a few moments in silence. Laila came over and hugged both of us with her tiny arms. It was a beautifully powerful moment.

  Asher cleared his throat as he stood to leave.

  “Wait. Don’t go,” I blurted out. “We need to talk. First, I need to take a shower, but then we need to talk.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Asher joked.

&n
bsp; Laila giggled, and I felt my face warm.

  Charlotte kissed my cheek. “I’m heading out. Lots to think about. And tons of studying. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

  “I don’t have a phone. Faerie here lost it.”

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time!” Charlotte teased. “Call me from your new phone tomorrow.”

  After Charlotte left, Laila stepped in front of me, attempting to block my path to the shower.

  “What is it, Laila? We’re even now.”

  She held out my phone. “I got tons of pictures and even some video. Definitely enough evidence to put Stone away for a very long time.”

  Before I could stop myself, I reached down and picked her up and danced in circles around the living room. I planted a big wet kiss on her little faerie cheek and she giggled again, then morphed into a ball of illuminating blue light.

  “See you around, Fiona!” she sang, as she zipped out of the guest house into the black night.

  I closed the door and locked it, then turned around to Asher.

  “Sorry about the couch. I’ll pay to have it cleaned. Or get a new one.”

  “That’s the last thing on my mind.”

  He started walking over to me. The closer he got, the hotter my skin tingled. Warm chills rippled up and down my spine. He stood before me, his presence so intense and alluring I had to lean against the door to hold myself up. Reaching under my chin, he tilted my head back and leaned down. His lips touched mine with a gentleness that made my entire body swoon. My heart pounded like rolling thunder. The desire to have him—every single inch—throbbed through me.

  “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you,” he murmured into my ear, sending warm prickles of ecstasy down my neck.

  “Let me shower first, please,” I moaned.

  He nodded and let me go.

  I ran into the bathroom and tore off the ill-fitting business suit; wanting to scrub down every inch of skin—knowing Asher and I were about to get it on—I even took off the Armor and put it next to a stack of towels under the sink. The steaming hot water restored my sore muscles. I wanted to hurry and get back to Asher … but I didn’t have to. He opened the shower door and joined me. I couldn’t stop staring at his muscular chest and lean abs as the water glistened on his smooth skin. A dark trail of hair led to … Oh, my. My heart pounded as he stepped closer and began rubbing my back and shoulders with a warm wash cloth. His fingers stroked my skin, caressing me gently. My insides quivered from his touch, and I wanted to lay myself before him and give him all of me.

  He shut off the water and dried me, kissing my face and neck as he patted the towel over my body. Both of us trembled to the touch, anticipation flitting around us like butterflies. I could feel our energy sparking off each other. He led me to the bedroom, laying me gently on top of the fluffy comforter. We kissed, sinking into one another, moving in unison, losing ourselves in a sea of magical light, bursting with fire.

  Then he stopped and sat back. “As much as I want you, Fiona, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” His words sounded like a needle scratching a record.

  “What? Why?”

  “We don’t know each other that well.”

  I sat up and pulled a blanket over me. “Is this about me being a supernatural freak or a virgin?”

  “Neither, Fiona. You’re not a freak.”

  “But I am a virgin. If that’s a problem, I’ll go out right now and sleep with someone to take off the pressure.”

  Asher laughed, though I was completely serious. He touched my cheek with a genuine tenderness that told me he cared about me. So why wouldn’t he sleep with me?

  “You’re such a tease,” I said, half joking.

  “I think it’s better if we wait.” He grinned and it was tough to be pissed off at such a handsome man.

  “Okay, I concede. I have a feeling you’ll be worth the wait. Besides, I have a story to write by tomorrow morning.”

  He kissed my cheek and left the guest house. After I got over the initial shock of still being a virgin, I grabbed my laptop and transferred the photos and video footage that Laila had captured in the warehouse. I had eight hours to write the story of a lifetime. Stone was going down. Hard.

  twenty-seven

  After spending hours drafting my story on Stone and emailing it to Somer, I was able to get a few hours of sleep before work on Friday morning. The story was a solid investigative piece that uncovered the Stone trafficking scandal. Many other underground sites had only speculated that the city Controller was misusing funds, but that was the tip of the iceberg. With the detailed footage and photographs Laila had gathered, I was able to prove that Emmett Stone was heavily involved in human trafficking. Naturally, I left out the supernatural elements. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, the whole thing would’ve sounded like complete balderdash. I was looking forward to seeing Somer Barrett’s face when I got into the office; for the first time all week, the satisfaction of accomplishment settled into my bones.

  On my way to work, I expected to “bump” into Ezra. It had been over twenty-four hours since I had last seen him, which was very strange. Either he was on official Guide business with some other Protector who listened better than me, or I was in big trouble. In my defense, I had just dismantled a colossal demonic operation. Hopefully the Monarchy had awarded him for having such a stellar, on-the-ball Protector. Either way, I was starting to miss old Glimmer Eyes.

  When I walked into the office of Lifting the Fog, the place was buzzing. I checked the time to make sure I wasn’t late. Somer Barrett was marching through the place, shouting instructions and rounding up the senior writers and editors.

  I trailed after her. “Somer. Hey, Somer.”

  She turned on her 6-inch heels and lit up like fireworks when she saw me. “Fiona! Come, come along!”

  I power-walked to keep up with the blazing Somer Barrett. “What’s going on? Did you get my story?”

  She laughed almost manically. “Did I get your story?”

  “Yeah, the one on Stone,” I said.

  Somer stopped and turned around, resting her well-manicured hands on my shoulders. “I don’t know how you did it, Fiona Farrow, but you’re a genius. Your parents taught you well. Way to get in there and go deep. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly disappointed that you completely blew off your original assignment, but this … this is groundbreaking. Earth shattering. When we run this story, we will officially become a top dog.”

  “So, you’re going to run it?”

  “Of course. I have Kessler working on the edits right now. We’re going to drop at the 11 a.m. time slot. Right before lunch.”

  Hearing this should’ve brought waves of unending elation, but I had a sinking feeling.

  “Kessler?” I managed to get out.

  Somer kept walking until she noticed I was no longer following behind her like a goofy puppy. She let out a sigh and came back. “You did a fantastic job, Fiona, and you’ll get credit for gathering research, but we must have a big name attached to this story. It’s too huge. You understand, don’t you?”

  I understood that I wasn’t going to get the glory. That my junior status wouldn’t be taken seriously by the media. Someone with credibility needed to be tied to the piece, not an amateur who shouldn’t have been nosing around where she didn’t belong. It felt like someone had just taken a sharp needle to the bubble I had floated in on.

  “Sure, I get it,” I said.

  Somer patted my shoulder in a motherly way, then took off, shouting out more instructions to the staff.

  ***

  When the story went live at eleven that morning, Somer called the entire staff to the middle of the office for a champagne toast. I chugged mine back before the official toast and grabbed another glass. I smiled, pretending to be a team player as she told everyone I had done an incredible job gathering the evidence against Stone. The champagne was helping to take away the sting of getting bumped off the story. By the time I stepped out
of the office for lunch, I had a steady buzz going. Instead of getting food, I went to the nearest cellphone store, since mine had officially died at some point during the morning hoopla.

  The store was trilling with a similar excitement happening all over San Francisco. Everyone was talking about the Emmett Stone story. Salespeople gathered around—no one looking at each other—shouting out bits of unfolding information.

  “Excuse me,” I hollered over the banter. “I’d like to buy a phone.”

  A short saleswoman glanced up for second. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

  “I bet if I had a phone I would.” I gave her a fake smile.

  She helped me pick out the newest and most geeked-out phone available. Charlotte would be very proud. Once my new phone was activated, it started dinging like crazy—a slew of texts from Asher and Charlotte. I decided to call Asher first.

  “You okay?” He sounded out of breath.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I saw the story about Emmett Stone. I knew you were involved and when I didn’t hear from you … I don’t know. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I decided not to whine about getting bumped off the story because that would’ve sounded lame. “How about you? You seem to be taking all of this supernatural stuff pretty well.”

  “I did a lot of acid in my teens,” he joked.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re keeping an open mind, because I really need you to finish working on my house.”

  He laughed and it felt good to have him on my side, regardless of how crazy everything had become. “What about you, any trouble with … you know…” he said.

  “Demons?”

  “Yeah, that.”

  Up to that point, I hadn’t even thought about the repercussions of exposing Stone, but a cold chill rippled down my spine. Should I be worried? I still wasn’t clear on Stone’s supernatural status—was he a demon or a mage? A warlock? Or was he just a regular old human who was involved with demons? I hadn’t been following the story, so I didn’t know if the authorities had arrested him or if he had magically disappeared.